New 'Joker' Set Photos Reveal How Filthy Gotham City Will Get

It’s going to get dirty in Gotham City — really dirty. New set photos from the Newark, New Jersey production of Todd Phillips’ Joker reveal a Gotham City suffering from moral decay, as well as a “trash collection strike.” If Batman wants to clean up Gotham, he’s going to need a broom.

On Friday, NJ.com published photos of the Newark set of Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix in a period piece exploring the Joker’s villainous origins. Among the pictures of porn theaters and peep shows, NJ.com writes in the caption for one photo in particular, “Numerous trash bags filled with paper lined the street for the movie because it is filmed during a trash collection strike in Gotham.”

We know Gotham City is a dirty city, but who knew it could be literally nasty?

The other photos by NJ.com reveal set decoration heavily reminiscent of Times Square in the 1980s, back when the epicenter of family-friendly tourism was “the sleaziest block in America,” according to a 1981 Rolling Stone article.

Filming in New Jersey began on September 30 and will continue through November 9 in Jersey City. The Newark scenes, filming in historic Market Street, will begin on Monday, October 15 and is expected to complete a day later Tuesday, October 16.

A production hand on the set of 'Joker.' The prop trash bags, filled with paper, are meant to illustrate Gotham City in the midst of a trash collector strike.

Set outside the DC movie continuity consisting of films like Wonder Woman and Justice League, Joker will explore the origins of Batman’s most famous nemesis as a failed comedian who turns to a life of crime.